High school was a constant challenge both mentally and physically. Getting good grades took its time and its toll. It seemed that finding people to support me and help me through the rough patches, outside of my friends, were hard to come by. Over my four years at Granby Memorial High School, I found three teachers/ coaches that had an amazing ability to show faith, support and motivation. These three people were Mr. Hansen, Mr. Bik and Mr. Lobo. They were always there for me in some way, shape or form. Their words of encouragement and support were always so influential and able to get me back on track. These three men made high school enjoyable. I really loved my high school experience because of them. I am very lucky that I had these influences in high school because I'm not sure where I would be now. My high school was very competitive. The kids in my class were generally very smart and somewhat motivated. The thing that separated us was just the amount of motivation. I was very lucky to be in a school that made us work as hard as it did. Graduating Granby Memorial High School was no easy task. I must say that even though it was often a struggle, Granby really prepared me for college and the rigors that it entails. My school made us write, read and gave us very involved tests. We were expected not just to recount a story, but also explain the significance or the importance it may have to us. We really had to apply our minds to figure out the meaning of a story and how it could connect to our lives. This was often an annoying and grueling task that was not fun to start up. Once it was crunch time, this is when I had epiphanies on what the literature was saying to me. In the end, I was grateful and realized how interesting the stuff that I read really was. Not too many kids can honestly say that they got much out of what they read in school. It is true that I did not like every book or find significance on every page but I did connect deeply to a lot of the stories that we read. High school was not a breeze but it was a very influential journey. There were a few teachers and coaches that helped me through school and life in general. My cross country coach, Mr. Dennis Lobo, was such a big figure to me. I look up to him in so many ways. He was such a great man and a great coach, just by how he went about his business. Being a cross country coach takes discipline and a lot of strength in order to keep the kids focused and in shape. What separates my coaches from the rest is that he also had a heart, and we could all feel it. He was not just a hard-ass jerk who made us run; he was a strong man who commanded the respect that he earned. I envy his ability to do this and I respect him to the utmost degree. The one sport that I genuinely still miss is cross country because of all the people that I met and the influence that Mr. Lobo made on a daily basis. They both changed my life and outlook. I feel like I reconnected with my childhood and it revived my love for excelling in school and in sports. Cross country got me back on the track that I felt I had lost in the whirlwind of high school. I am so grateful for that experience. If there is one thing I could always have in my life, it would be that cross country team. KS Two great teachers that I had really helped me find the love and passion I had for learning and excelling in school. My math teacher Mr. Bik and my gym coach Mr. Hansen. Both these guys were just goofy and fun-loving men. What I loved about them the most is that they were both still kids on the inside, they never lost the connection that they had to finding the best in every situation. Mr. Bik made calculus seem easy. When I signed up for the class, I never thought I’d end up taking the AP test. I just wanted to stay above water as much as possible. Mr. Bik was able to give me the confidence to not only exceed expectations in the class, but also inspired me to take the AP test. Now, I have 7 credits in math for college. Just by having the hard work pay off, I finally saw that if I really put my mind to it, I could accomplish something that I would never have expected. Mr. Hansen is such a goofy guy. He is the basketball coach at the school but I never played for him as a coach. The way he walks around the school, he makes you feel part of it. Kids that feel left out or disconnected were his top targets. He really had a knack for picking kids out of a rut. At least I know this because he did it for me. When I was down, out and felt lost in school, one of Mr. Hansen’s simple, “what up Repetto?” put a smile on my face. Having any person like that in your life and in your school is a tremendous pick up. Even though he was a gym teacher and I did not have him very often, when I did see him something special seemed to happen. A bad day became a good day and a good day became an even better day. Mr. Hansen is a special guy and I can honestly call him a friend. Great teachers have such a positive imprint in daily high school life. KS High school was not easy whatsoever. It was fun once I found the path that I really wanted to be on. I did not find the path on my own, I felt lost for a few years, and the things I did and the people I met helped me find myself again. I thought I would never revive my love of school and sports. I thought life was just going to suck and that I’d just have to get used to it. Luckily enough, I met those three role models and found my inspiration again. I found my inner child once more. I never want to lose it again and even though college may have some setbacks, I do know the things that I should and must do. When I do the things I enjoy, it helps me find the good in what is hard to enjoy. Even though my role models are not here right now, I still remember the things they would be doing or saying and it all helps me find my path on the road to success.
High school was a constant challenge both mentally and physically. Getting good grades took its time and its toll. It seemed that finding people to support me and help me through the rough patches, outside of my friends, were hard to come by. Over my four years at Granby Memorial High School, I found three teachers/ coaches that had an amazing ability to show faith, support and motivation. These three people were Mr. Hansen, Mr. Bik and Mr. Lobo. They were always there for me in some way, shape or form. Their words of encouragement and support were always so influential and able to get me back on track. These three men made high school enjoyable. I really loved my high school experience because of them. I am very lucky that I had these influences in high school because I'm not sure where I would be now.
My high school was very competitive. The kids in my class were generally very smart and somewhat motivated. The thing that separated us was just the amount of motivation. I was very lucky to be in a school that made us work as hard as it did. Graduating Granby Memorial High School was no easy task. I must say that even though it was often a struggle, Granby really prepared me for college and the rigors that it entails. My school made us write, read and gave us very involved tests. We were expected not just to recount a story, but also explain the significance or the importance it may have to us. We really had to apply our minds to figure out the meaning of a story and how it could connect to our lives. This was often an annoying and grueling task that was not fun to start up. Once it was crunch time, this is when I had epiphanies on what the literature was saying to me. In the end, I was grateful and realized how interesting the stuff that I read really was. Not too many kids can honestly say that they got much out of what they read in school. It is true that I did not like every book or find significance on every page but I did connect deeply to a lot of the stories that we read. High school was not a breeze but it was a very influential journey.
There were a few teachers and coaches that helped me through school and life in general. My cross country coach, Mr. Dennis Lobo, was such a big figure to me. I look up to him in so many ways. He was such a great man and a great coach, just by how he went about his business. Being a cross country coach takes discipline and a lot of strength in order to keep the kids focused and in shape. What separates my coaches from the rest is that he also had a heart, and we could all feel it. He was not just a hard-ass jerk who made us run; he was a strong man who commanded the respect that he earned. I envy his ability to do this and I respect him to the utmost degree. The one sport that I genuinely still miss is cross country because of all the people that I met and the influence that Mr. Lobo made on a daily basis. They both changed my life and outlook. I feel like I reconnected with my childhood and it revived my love for excelling in school and in sports. Cross country got me back on the track that I felt I had lost in the whirlwind of high school. I am so grateful for that experience. If there is one thing I could always have in my life, it would be that cross country team. KS
Two great teachers that I had really helped me find the love and passion I had for learning and excelling in school. My math teacher Mr. Bik and my gym coach Mr. Hansen. Both these guys were just goofy and fun-loving men. What I loved about them the most is that they were both still kids on the inside, they never lost the connection that they had to finding the best in every situation. Mr. Bik made calculus seem easy. When I signed up for the class, I never thought I’d end up taking the AP test. I just wanted to stay above water as much as possible. Mr. Bik was able to give me the confidence to not only exceed expectations in the class, but also inspired me to take the AP test. Now, I have 7 credits in math for college. Just by having the hard work pay off, I finally saw that if I really put my mind to it, I could accomplish something that I would never have expected. Mr. Hansen is such a goofy guy. He is the basketball coach at the school but I never played for him as a coach. The way he walks around the school, he makes you feel part of it. Kids that feel left out or disconnected were his top targets. He really had a knack for picking kids out of a rut. At least I know this because he did it for me. When I was down, out and felt lost in school, one of Mr. Hansen’s simple, “what up Repetto?” put a smile on my face. Having any person like that in your life and in your school is a tremendous pick up. Even though he was a gym teacher and I did not have him very often, when I did see him something special seemed to happen. A bad day became a good day and a good day became an even better day. Mr. Hansen is a special guy and I can honestly call him a friend. Great teachers have such a positive imprint in daily high school life. KS
High school was not easy whatsoever. It was fun once I found the path that I really wanted to be on. I did not find the path on my own, I felt lost for a few years, and the things I did and the people I met helped me find myself again. I thought I would never revive my love of school and sports. I thought life was just going to suck and that I’d just have to get used to it. Luckily enough, I met those three role models and found my inspiration again. I found my inner child once more. I never want to lose it again and even though college may have some setbacks, I do know the things that I should and must do. When I do the things I enjoy, it helps me find the good in what is hard to enjoy. Even though my role models are not here right now, I still remember the things they would be doing or saying and it all helps me find my path on the road to success.